Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine McGough.
Katherine, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
A love of animals fueled my start as an artist. My school notebooks are filled with sketches of dogs and horses alongside the quadratic equation or notes on the Civil War. By college, I was entranced by the human figure and the beautiful textures of textiles as they adorn and enhance the figure. I then set my sights on a career in fashion and studying in New York City.
Having studied Fashion Design at Parson’s School of Design, Fashion Illustration and digital art at F.I.T., and oil painting at The New York Academy of Art in New York City, my work is an interesting blend of art, illustration, and design. While at Parson’s, I was known for my novel and patterned textures, which I created by mixing unique yarns and knitting them into beautiful fabrics. These designs became the subject of my senior design project, a cocoon-like sweater and skirt, which won the coveted Gold Thimble Award from Donna Karan for my senior design project. I enjoyed other challenges in New York including knitting sweaters for the Rockefeller Center Christmas Spectacular for several years and creating and selling my own line of children’s clothing under the Green Mountain Kids label. Twice selected as a Finalist for Westminster Dog Show’s annual Poster contest, my work was exhibited at their annual show for two different years (2014 and 2016) and two of my nudes were exhibited and sold in The New York Academy of Art’s annual Take Home a Nude exhibition at Christie’s Auction House (2015).
My art heroes are a diverse group that include painters, John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, and illustrators, Antonio Lopez and Rien Poortvliet. In my portrait work I strive to capture the essence of my sitter as Sargent so aptly did with a few strokes of the brush. From Wyeth, I try to feel the emotion of the subject as he so deeply did. In my Fashion Illustration work, I look to Antonio Lopez for the attitude, energy, and elegant figure drawing skills he employed. Rien Poortvliet’s portraits and sketches of animals demonstrate his innate knowledge and love for all of God’s creatures. Whether it is fur, feathers, or scales his animals seem to come to life and leap off the page imbued with a unique spirit.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Currently, I am looking to build an illustration, fashion and art business in Boston, while maintaining my New York contacts. Locally, my paintings and drawings have been exhibited in Cambridge and Arlington and my fashion illustrations have graced the walls of Cambridge vintage shop, Oona’s. My Instagram site is filled with my illustrations and artwork and will shortly (Summer 2018) advertise the launch of my illustrated blog. It will be a how-to guide to creative dressing using my closet of clothes and accessories collected over time as the palette.
I work in many media. Most of my fashion illustration is done in marker, pencil, colored pencils or watercolor and then manipulated digitally to create a jpeg. My portraits and landscapes are usually in more traditional oils or pastels. But, I still love to draw a controlled, detailed and realistic pencil drawing. Sometimes, however, I just enjoy the freedom of watercolor and many of my nudes are in this versatile, expressive medium.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
The support of family and friends is key. I started teaching to help supplement my income and found that I enjoyed that so much that I am seeking positions elsewhere throughout the community. Remember that art is always a part of you and no matter what you have to do to put bread on the table, there is always a way to fit in some time in the day to create. I find it is the most meditative part of my day.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work can be seen on my Instagram site, Facebook Page, website and occasionally in local art shows. I would love to do more work with local media and retailers, creating illustrations for their advertising or prints for their walls or editorial and fashion illustrations for magazines, newspapers or publishers. Another exciting project that I am working on is a children’s picture book. This has been especially fun, as it involves sketching animals and then giving them human characteristics.
You can also support me by taking a class from me. I teach Fashion Illustration and Animal Illustration at Arlington Center for the Arts and Arlington Community Education in their Adult Education programs. This summer, I hope to spread my love of fashion to local teens through a course in Fashion Design for teens through the Arlington Center for the Arts Teen Art Studios programs.
Contact Info:
- Address: Arlington, Massachusetts
- Website: https://www.katherinemcgough.com
- Email: kcm@katherinemcgough.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherinemcgough/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinemcgoughillustrator/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/@kcmmcgough
Image Credit:
Katherine McGough
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